Engineering Tech Doreen Houck

Doreen Houck started in engineering when it was largely considered a man’s industry. While it is still a male-dominated field, Doreen found her place in it.

She has worked as a city of Fulton Engineering Tech for nearly a decade. Doreen visits work sites to assess utility line layouts, take measurements and photos, and prepare sketches. Once she has collected the necessary information, Doreen returns to City Hall to map out the area in the city’s GIS system.

“I don’t have a degree. I got my GED, and I went to a drafting school for women to be initiated into the man’s field,” she said. “It was run by a community center to get women into the field of drafting. That’s pretty much how I started.”

She worked for several engineering companies in New Jersey and later Columbia, Missouri, before coming to the city of Fulton in 2013.

“Breaking into this predominantly male profession, I thought, ‘Well, gosh, nobody is going to take me seriously. I’m going to go to college,” Doreen said. “I went for my engineering degree, but I only got about 38 credits before I moved out here. Thank goodness the city knew that I loved what I do; I think that is reflected every time I talk about it.”

Working for a municipality, she said, means going into the field and seeing how contractors and other people work. One of the best parts is being able to see all sides of the work and research when there isn’t an obvious solution.

“I love to research and dig until I have an answer. If I cannot help, I make sure they get in touch with someone who can assist them with what they need”, she said.

Doreen was a single mother of three before meeting her husband Bob at a parents without partners dance about 30 years ago. Today, she enjoys conducting genealogy research, baking, and cooking.